Hunger persists in America largely because people can easily ignore it

People line up to receive food from Second Harvest. An estimated 1 million Tennesseans, or one in six, are considered hungry. The elderly have been disproportionately affected, and 62 percent of the state?s public schoolchildren are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

This week, millions of Americans will enjoy their biggest feast of the year, family tables and restaurant buffets groaning under the weight of turkeys, stuffing and every side dish imaginable.

Millions more Americans will have the only square meal they have all year long, because of the holiday kindness of others.

And for millions more, Thanksgiving will be just another day with not enough to eat - in America, in Tennessee and in your town.

This can be difficult to understand for some who have never struggled, who have not been moved to lend a helping hand. The deprivation often is not visible. But it's there.

We know, of course, because of the work of government social agencies, private charities and church organizations. These entities help a lot of people, but they cannot keep up.

Hunger is not abating in America, because a cycle of poverty, substandard education and, yes, economic inequality is spinning too fast, dragging more people along with every passing year. Hunger is a global threat, too, with international agencies focusing on disaster-ravaged areas and undeveloped countries with high birthrates.

But hunger persists in America, in large part because people can easily ignore it.

In Tennessee, 62 percent of public schoolchildren are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Twenty years ago, the percentage was just under 50 percent. The number has spiked since 2008, when the recession began and families in large numbers began to lose jobs, spend their savings and see their homes foreclosed. The problem is not just in families with children. The elderly have been disproportionately affected. Overall, an estimated 1 million Tennesseans, or one in six, are considered hungry.

A Tennessean report earlier this month noted that pockets of poverty persist even in the most affluent counties of Middle Tennessee, and the issue of economic stigma was present even with schoolchildren. School officials for good reason make it difficult to know which students get free lunches and which do not.

But the downside is that it makes it easier for skeptics to overlook the problem and to reject the need for government assistance.

Nonprofits like Second Harvest and Meals on Wheels do an incredible job but need broader, active support from the community in collecting food donated by businesses to feed the poor all year long.

But food banks and volunteers cannot know of everyone who is in need. That is why the government safety net must be preserved.

It is popular to complain about government assistance - food stamps, WIC and the rest - and portray the people they serve as lazy scammers. That is the misinformed view. Those programs are the only dedicated source of food for the very poor. Food-stamp fraud does occur but represents only about 1 cent on the dollar.

How many of the legitimate recipients of food assistance are naysayers willing to give up? Will it be a relative or the family of their child's best friend? Do they even know who they are exposing to hunger by their indifference?

Be thankful on this holiday if you and your loved ones do not have to worry about the next meal. But take your gratitude further by donating and by supporting the safety net.

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Hunger persists in America largely because people can easily ignore it

Hunger is not abating in America, because a cycle of poverty, substandard education and economic inequality is dragging more people along with each passing year.